Mycorrhizal Fungi As Restorers of Degraded Lands.

Land degradation is a global concern, and results from any number of factors that reduce the actual or potential productivity or utility of land.  Biophysical changes resulting from land degradation include loss of soil structure, altered chemical cycles, and reductions in biodiversity.  Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are obligate associates of host plant roots, and ubiquitous in all but the most extreme environments.  These fungi play an important role in restoring degraded lands, performing services such as soil aggregation, alleviating soil toxicity to plants, increasing soil carbon, and regulating biodiversity.  However, due to the immense genotypic diversity of these fungi and the complex relationships formed with plant hosts, our ability to efficiently utilize these fungi for land restoration is nominal.  I will review the services provided by these fungi for restoring degraded lands, and identify research needs for effective utilization of these services.

Abstract